Description of Studies

Description of studies 
Literature search

Systematic review of the literature from 1966–January 2004 using MEDLINE and EmBASE, following the protocol of the Cochrane Collaboration:

• Inclusion of randomised studies in English assessing analgesic interventions in herniorraphy in adults, and reporting pain on a linear analogue scale
• Identification of 243 studies of peri-operative interventions for postoperative pain following herniorraphy
• 122 studies included (Click here for further information)
• 121 studies excluded (Click here for further information)
• The most common reason for exclusion was the absence of postoperative pain scores (77 studies). Studies of analgesic interventions following laparoscopic herniorraphy (four studies) were excluded from the systematic review because there is evidence that laparoscopic herniorraphy is associated with a different postoperative pain profile to open herniorraphy (see Intra-operative, Operative techniques). These laparoscopic herniorraphy studies are presented as transferable evidence. (Click here for further information about excluded studies)
  

Transferable evidence

In PROSPECT, procedure-specific evidence is usually supplemented with transferable evidence (evidence from procedures with similar pain profiles). However, due to the nature of herniorraphy, evidence is not directly transferable from any other procedure; therefore this section includes studies and reviews of a variety of surgical procedures, where appropriate, to address information not covered in the systematic review. This section also includes a small number of studies of analgesic interventions following laparoscopic herniorraphy.